JP2020533483A - Laser machine tool with suction system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention selectively solidifies the material powder (P) to form a connection region by focused laser light (L), thereby producing and / or moldings for machining workpieces. Machine (1) for The machine (1) is closed by a process chamber door (11) and can be closed by a door to store a process chamber (10) surrounding the process space (12) and a material powder (P). (7) and a suction system are provided. The suction system is fluidly connected to a fan (2) for generating an air flow and a fan (2) via a first exhaust duct (3a) to suck particles from the process space (12) to the outside. It also has a first suction device and a second suction device fluidly connected to a fan (2) via a second exhaust duct (3b) in order to suck particles from the material powder container cabinet (7) to the outside. .. According to the present invention, the first suction device has means (4a) for controlling the suction output of the first suction device, and / or the second suction device controls the suction output of the second suction device. It has means (4b) for controlling. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

The present invention relates to a machine for positionally solidifying material powders to form a connecting region by focused laser light, thereby machining a workpiece and / or producing a compact. This machine has a suction system for sucking particles to the outside.

The present invention further position-selectively solidifies the material powder to form a connection region by focused laser light, thereby processing a workpiece and / or producing a molded body of a machine. The present invention relates to a method for sucking particles out of the process space in the process chamber, which may be closed by the process chamber door.

Common machines are, in particular, machines for producing compacts according to the principles of selective laser melting, selective laser sintering or laser vapor deposition welding. In particular, material powders made of metal, plastic or ceramic can be used. In the following, the term laser machine tool or simply machine is used to aggregate various types of machines for machining / producing / manufacturing workpieces or compacts using laser light.

In the method of selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, or laser vapor deposition welding, a molded body such as a mechanical part, a tool, an artificial device, or a piece of jewelery is formed, for example, a metal material according to the shape description data of the corresponding molded body. It can be manufactured or processed from powder, ceramic material powder, or plastic powder by layered structure. In the manufacturing process, the material powder is guided by a powder nozzle to the focal point of the focused laser beam heated by the focused laser beam, which causes the material powder to be remelted in the irradiation region to form a connected solidified region. Will be done. After cooling, a layer of material that can be machined is formed.

For the latest technology in the field of selective laser melting, see, for example, DE1020155226889A1. Further, the type of laser machine tools described above are known, for example, from EP2052845A2. Machine tools for metal coatings are described, for example, in patent application DE102013224649A1.

The paper "Laser-Einheit macht Auftragsschweissen auf Bearbeitungszentrum moeglich" by Nowony et al. It is published in the magazine "MM Das Industriemagazin", 17/2009, p. 42 et seq., Which describes optical systems. The weld metal (material powder) is supplied to the laser focal point via a powder nozzle. The workpiece can be milled on the same machine.

For position-selectively solidifying material powders to form connecting regions by laser light, especially selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, or laser deposition welding, and / or for machining workpieces. There are basically two types of machines known for producing molded bodies. The type of machine differs, among other things, in the way the material powder is provided. In the first type of machine, the powder layer is formed in layers. In the second type of machine, the material powder is provided at the machining position by a powder nozzle. The present invention particularly relates to a machine in which material powder is fed to the focal point of a laser by a powder nozzle. The mechanical setup for moving the laser machining head and / or the workpiece can be performed, for example, as in a known 5-axis machining center, in which case the laser machining head is provided instead of the machining tool. For the last few years, machine tools have also been available on the market that enable both laser machining and metal cutting, for example with milling tools. In such a hybrid machining center, the laser machining head can be attached to the spindle holder for the tool.

Weld fumes are generated during the processes described above, especially during laser deposition welding, and the weld fumes can be harmful to human health, because those weld fumes can be inhalable, which can be carcinogenic. Because it contains particles, significant health hazards can arise from such particles. The weld haze particles may be, for example, a few micrometers or a few tenths of a micrometer in size. Therefore, they are also called fine dust particles. Due to the possible health hazards to people, operators of such machines must be protected from inhalation of particles. As a first protective measure, the operator of the machine may wear a protective mask. However, the protection provided by the mask can be inadequate. Moreover, other people near the machine are not protected. Therefore, in order to avoid as much as possible pollution of the ambient air of the machine by particles that are harmful to health, laser machine tools usually have a suction device for sucking the particles out of the process space.

Laser machine tools typically have a process chamber that is closed by a process chamber door and surrounds the process space. A suction device allows a vacuum to be created in the process chamber so that no particles are released to the surroundings, at least when the process chamber is closed. When operating the suction device, the air flow, on the one hand, must be regulated to ensure the most efficient suction of particles. On the other hand, the airflow generated in the process space must not interfere with the process itself. For example, an air flow that is too strong can disrupt the flow of material powder produced by the carrier gas flowing through the powder nozzle, resulting in a sufficient amount of material powder or an uneven distribution of material powder that is the focus of the laser beam. Does not reach. To avoid turbulence in the flow of material powder, the suction device usually has a throttle valve (throttle valve) that can be manually adjusted to adjust the suction output. Throttle adjustments are typically made once during machine installation or maintenance.

However, since the suction power is clearly reduced, the total suction power can no longer be used to suck particles out of the process space after the process is complete. Therefore, before opening the door of the process chamber, it is necessary to wait unnecessarily long until all the air in the process chamber is completely replaced at least once, which is due to ambient contamination by particles or particles. Contamination of machine operators can be eliminated as much as possible.

From the above, it is a basic object of the present invention to provide a machine provided with a suction system in which the suction output can be adjusted.

This problem is solved by the machine according to the generic term of claim 1. According to the present invention, the first suction device has means for controlling the suction output of the first suction device, and / or the second suction device has means for controlling the suction output of the second suction device.

This problem further addresses the process chamber doors of machines for position-selectively solidifying material powders to form connecting regions with focused laser light, thereby processing workpieces and / or manufacturing shaped articles. It is solved by a method of sucking particles out of the process space in the process chamber which can be closed by. In the first method step, the door of the process chamber is locked before the machine starts the machining process. This makes it impossible to open the process chamber door during machining. In another method step, while the machine is performing the machining process, the first suction device is activated to suck particles out of the process space with reduced power. The output throttle adjustment is made, for example, according to the material powder used or according to the flow of the material powder. This prevents the air flow generated by the suction from affecting the flow of the material powder. In a further method step, after the machining process is interrupted or terminated, a first suction device for sucking particles out of the process space is operated at maximum power for a specified period of time. This advantageously allows all or at least most of the harmful particles to be sucked out of the process chamber before the process chamber door is opened. The specified period is determined so that all air in the process space is completely replaced at least once within the period. In the final method step, the process chamber door is unlocked after the specified time has elapsed. The process chamber door can be reopened as soon as all particles have been sucked out of the process space. There is no longer any danger of the machine operator or the surrounding air of the machine being contaminated with harmful particles.

The term throttle-adjusted output means a suction output that is lower than the maximum suction power. The air flow for suction is preferably generated by a fan operated at a constant output. Next, it is preferable that the suction output of the suction device is throttle (throttle) adjusted by limiting the air flow with, for example, a throttle valve (throttle valve). The throttle valve (throttle valve) can be arranged, for example, in the exhaust duct of the suction device fluidly connected to the blower.

Preferred configurations and further developments that can be used individually or in combination with each other are the subject of dependent claims.

Preferably, the means for controlling the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device each have an actuator. The actuators can preferably be controlled separately by mechanical control. Therefore, the suction power of the first suction device and / or the suction power of the second suction device can be adjusted completely automatically and integrated into the process sequence. In addition, the suction output can be adjusted according to the state of the machine.

In a preferred configuration of the machine, an air supply port and an exhaust port are connected to the first exhaust duct in the process space. The air supply port and the exhaust port are preferably arranged so that an air flow is generated across the focal point of the focused laser beam. When the generated air flow passes across the focal point of the laser beam, the generated welding fumes can be sucked out very efficiently. This is because the welding haze is generated at or near the focal point of the laser beam. Further, when the air flow passes through the position where the welding haze is generated, the first suction device can be operated with a lower suction power.

In particular, the air supply port and the exhaust port are arranged so that the air flow is generated in the horizontal direction. Such a configuration is particularly advantageous when the laser machining head emits focused laser light vertically onto the workpiece. After that, the air flow generated in the horizontal direction can pass through the work without being obstructed.

The means for controlling the suction power of the first suction device and / or the second suction device is the first suction device and / or the second suction device, depending on the open state of the process chamber door and / or the open state of the door of the material powder container. It is preferably configured to adjust the suction output of the suction device. When the process chamber door is open, or when the door of the material powder container is open, higher suction power is required to prevent ambient contamination by particles. In other words, higher suction power is required to maintain vacuum in the process space or material powder container than when the doors are closed at each. In particular, the door of the process chamber can only be opened when the machining process by the machine is terminated or interrupted. This means that the first suction device can be operated at full power with the process chamber door open, without the risk of adversely affecting the powder flow. Machine control can be set to lock the process chamber door while the machining process is in progress. After terminating or interrupting the process, the process chamber door may remain locked for a specified period of time for safety reasons, during which time the suction of the generated welding haze is performed. As the suction power is increased, this defined period can be shortened.

The means for controlling the suction power of the first suction device and / or the second suction device is to control the suction power of the first suction device and / or the second suction device, depending on the machining and / or manufacturing process of the machine. It may be configured to adjust. In particular, the suction power of the first suction device is throttle adjusted during the machining and / or manufacturing process to avoid affecting the flow of material powder from the powder nozzle. If the machining and / or manufacturing process is interrupted or terminated, the suction power of the first suction device can be set to the maximum value.

The means for controlling the suction power of the first suction device and / or the second suction device is to control the suction power of the first suction device and / or the second suction device, depending on the material and / or material composition of the material powder. It may be configured to adjust. When different materials are used, different welding fumes are generated depending on the material composition, and the welding fumes are formed differently in composition, pollutant particles, pollutant concentration or smoke concentration, and toxicity of the pollutants contained. Will be done. Therefore, this exemplary configuration has the advantage that the suction power can be adjusted according to the welded fumes produced, in which case the material and / or containing a relatively high concentration of contaminants in the welded fumes. For materials with higher toxicity of pollutants, it is preferable to adjust to higher absorption power, and materials with relatively low pollutant concentration in the welding fumes and / or pollutants contained are less toxic. For the material, it is preferable to adjust to a lower suction power.

The suction method can further include the step of operating a second suction device to suck particles out of the housing for the material powder container (eg, the material powder cabinet or the material powder container cabinet). The suction power of the second suction device can be adjusted depending on whether the housing door or material powder cabinet is open or closed. When the door of the material powder cabinet (or material powder container cabinet) in which one or more material powder containers can be placed is open, the second suction device can operate at full suction power, which allows the material powder. Leakage of material powder from the container to the surroundings is prevented, or at least reduced. The second suction device can be operated with reduced suction power because when the door of the material powder cabinet is closed, full power is not required to generate a sufficiently high vacuum in the material powder cabinet. ..

Hereinafter, although the present invention is not limited, a more preferable configuration will be described in more detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

The structure of a machine tool for manufacturing a molded body or machining a workpiece by focused laser irradiation is shown. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the laser machine tool which has a suction system. It is a detailed view which shows the exhaust duct and the throttle valve (throttle valve) of the laser machine tool which concerns on embodiment of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the process space of the laser machine tool which concerns on one Embodiment. An exemplary time sequence of suction is shown. It is explanatory drawing of the operation principle of laser vapor deposition welding.

In the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, the same reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent components.

FIG. 1 illustrates a machine 1 for positionally solidifying a material powder to form a connection region by laser irradiation, thereby machining a workpiece and / or producing a compact. The figure is shown. The machine 1 includes a machine frame 21, and a laser machining head 23 having a workpiece table 20 on one side and a powder nozzle 15 on the other side is indirectly attached to the machine frame 21 via an intermediate adjustment shaft 22. There is. The adjusting shaft 22 can each have several translational (X, Y, Z) or rotational (φ, λ, θ) axes, which can be adjusted according to mechanical control. For example, the laser machining head 23 is fixed to the machine frame 21 via one, two, or three translational adjustment axes 22 (X and / or Y and / or Z), while the workpiece table 20 Can be configured to be attached to the machine frame 21 via one, two, or three rotation adjusting shafts 22.

For example, the machine 1 can be a 5-axis laser machine tool for position-selectively solidifying material powder to form a connecting region by laser irradiation, thereby producing a molded product. The workpiece can be releasably attached to the workpiece table 20 for machining. Alternatively, the molded body can regioselectively cure the material powder, thereby constructing it layer by layer on the workpiece table 20.

Such a laser machine tool 1 usually has a closed process chamber 10 in which a vacuum can be created by a suction system, which is due to welding fumes or other particles such as material powder. The surroundings of the machine 1 are protected from contamination. The process chamber 10 surrounds the process space 12, which is accessible through the process chamber door 11. The process chamber door 11 may include a locking mechanism that can be actuated according to the machining process. This can prevent the process chamber door 11 from opening during the running machining process.

The suction system can suck air from the process space 12 through the exhaust port 5a. The exhaust port 5a is fluidly connected to the fan 2 via the first exhaust duct 3a. Fresh air can be supplied to the process space 12 through the air supply port 5b fluidly connected to the air supply duct 3d. With proper positioning of the air supply port 5b and the exhaust port 5a in the process space 12, the air flow in the process chamber 12 is such that the air flow F basically passes horizontally through the operating point of the laser machine tool 1. The direction of F can be adjusted, in which case the focused laser beam L fuses the material powder P supplied through the powder nozzle 15 with the workpiece. The operating principle of laser thin-film welding will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. The air flow F is indicated by a dotted arrow in FIG. Another dotted arrow indicates the airflow through the air supply duct 3d and the exhaust flow through the first exhaust duct 3a.

In the alternative configuration of the present invention, the air supply port 5b can be omitted. Fresh air from the surroundings can then be supplied through the slots and / or joints in the process chamber 10 or between the process chamber 10 and the process chamber door 11. However, by providing the air supply port 5b, the direction of the air flow F can be defined more accurately, whereby a layered horizontal flow can be basically generated through the operating point of the machine 1. There is an advantage. In the alternative configuration, one or more air supply ports 5b and / or one or more exhaust ports 5a can be provided. Further, the air flow F can be generated in any other flow direction, for example, vertically, instead of being horizontal.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a 5-axis laser machine tool 1 according to the present invention for locally selectively solidifying a material powder to form a connection region by laser irradiation according to an embodiment and thereby producing a molded product. Shown in 4. The illustrated embodiment basically corresponds to the machine 1 schematically shown in FIG. However, FIG. 4 does not show the laser machining head 23 fixed to the adjusting shaft 22.

The workpiece table 20 is arranged in the process chamber 10 (process cabin), which can be closed by the process chamber door 11 and surrounds the process space 12. The control unit 13 located outside the process chamber 10 functions as an interface between the operator and the machine control. For example, measurements and / or warning messages and / or control applications can be displayed on the display of control unit 13. In the process space 12, the exhaust port 5a is arranged on the left side. The dotted arrow indicates the airflow F produced by the suction system. Since it is covered by the process chamber door 11, the air supply port 5b is not visible in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the 5-axis laser machine tool 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows further details of the suction system not shown in FIG. The machine 1 includes a material powder container cabinet 7, and the material powder is stored in one or more material powder containers in the material powder container cabinet 7. The material powder container cabinet 7 has a door (not shown) through which the operator can fill a material powder container (not shown) with material powder. From the material powder container cabinet 7, a line for guiding the material powder to the powder nozzle 15 is provided. A transport gas, such as argon, is used to transport the material powder.

The suction system includes a fan 2 for generating an air flow, a first suction device for sucking particles from the process space 12 to the outside, and a second suction device for sucking particles from the material powder container cabinet 7 to the outside. It is equipped with a device. The first suction device includes a first exhaust duct 3a, and an exhaust port 5a located in the process space 12 is connected to the fan 2 via the exhaust duct 3a. The second suction device includes a second exhaust duct 3b, and an exhaust port (not shown) arranged in the material powder container cabinet 7 is fluidly connected to the fan 2 via the exhaust duct 3b. The first exhaust duct 3a and the second exhaust duct 3b are connected to the third exhaust duct 3c fluidly connected to the fan 2 via a T-shaped component.

Each of the first suction device and the second suction device has means 4a and 4b for adjusting the suction output. The detailed view of FIG. 3 shows a T-shaped component that connects the first exhaust duct 3a and the second exhaust duct 3b to the third exhaust duct 3c. FIG. 3 shows the means for adjusting the suction output as a throttle valve (throttle valve) 4a in the first exhaust duct 3a and a throttle valve (throttle valve) 4b in the second exhaust duct 3b. The throttle valves 4a and 4b can be controlled via the actuators 6a and 6b. In particular, the actuators 6a and 6b are controlled by machine control. By adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve, the air flow through the first suction device and / or the second suction device can be adjusted. In particular, the airflow through the first and / or second suction devices depends on the process and / or the condition of the process chamber door 11 and / or the condition of the door of the material powder container 7. Can be adjusted. Since the throttle valves 4a and 4b are controlled by the actuators 6a and 6b, the adjustment of the suction power can be incorporated into a process sequence completely automatically controlled by mechanical control.

The fan 2 can have one or more filters for filtering the particles taken out of the air stream. For example, the fan can have a category C filter with dust removal. Particles filtered from the air can be collected in separate containers and removed for disposal. The filtered air flow can be passed through an external exhaust duct or directed around the machine 1. In particular, if the filtered air flow is directed around the machine 1, it must be ensured that the air contains as few health-harmful particles as possible. For this purpose, the fan can have one or more filters for suspended particles, especially HEPA filters, such as category H13 filters and / or category H14 filters.

In addition to those shown in FIG. 2, an exhaust flow can be generated by using a fan 2 located at a distance. For example, the fan 2 can be arranged outside the building where the machine 1 is installed. Therefore, the exhaust gas can be discharged directly to the outside, and as a result, the requirement for filtration of the exhaust gas can be lowered as compared with the case where the exhaust gas is discharged into the room.

Here, an exemplary time sequence for sucking will be described with reference to FIG. The top line in FIG. 5 indicates whether the process is in the "on" or "off" state, i.e., whether the laser vapor deposition welding process is currently in progress. The second line indicates the condition of the door to the material powder container cabinet 7, that is, whether the door is currently open or closed. The third line indicates whether the suction of process space 12 is operating at full power, throttle adjusted power, or not working at all. The bottom line indicates whether the suction of the material powder container cabinet 7 is operating at full power, at reduced power, or not at all. The state of the process chamber door 11 is not shown in FIG. A time axis is shown at the lower end of FIG. 5, and five points of times T1 to T5 are shown on the time axis, which will be described below.

At time T1, the laser deposition welding process is started on the machine 1. The door to the material powder container cabinet 7 and the process chamber door 11 are closed. With the start of the process at time T1, the suction of the process space 12 and the suction of the material container cabinet 7 are started, respectively. Both the suction of the process space 12 and the suction of the material powder container 7 are carried out with a throttle-adjusted output. The suction output of the process space 12 is throttle-adjusted so that the process is not disturbed by the unintended suction of the material powder from the powder nozzle 15. The output of the suction system of the material powder container cabinet 7 can be operated with a throttle adjusted output when the door is closed. This is because here it is only required to maintain sufficient vacuum to prevent the material powder from leaking around the machine 1.

At time T2, the door to the material powder container cabinet 7 is opened by the operator of machine 1 to replenish the material powder. In order to prevent the material powder from leaking to the surroundings as much as possible even when the door is open, the suction output from the material powder container 7 to the outside is increased to the maximum output. After the operator refills the material powder container 7, the operator closes the door again at time T3. Here, the suction from the material powder container cabinet 7 to the outside can be continued with the output adjusted to the throttle (throttle).

At time T4, the laser vapor deposition welding process is completed at machine 1. In this T4, the suction power from the process space 12 to the outside is increased to the maximum value in order to clean the process space 12 as completely as possible from welding fumes and other particles. This prevents harmful particles from leaking to the surroundings when the process chamber door 11 is open. The suction at maximum power is performed during the defined period ΔT up to the time T4 when the suction from the process space 12 to the outside and the suction from the material powder container cabinet 7 to the outside are switched off. The defined period ΔT is selected so that as much harmful particles as possible are sucked out of the process space 12 at the end of the defined period ΔT. The process chamber door 11 can be locked up to time T5, whereby the operator of the machine 1 can see the process chamber door 11 from most harmful particles, or preferably all harmful particles, from the process space 12. It can only be released when it is ensured that it has been sucked out.

The method described above can be controlled, for example, by mechanical control of the machine 1 which is preferably operable via the control unit 13. Instead of the illustrated sequence, suction can be continued after time T5. However, in order to reduce noise and save energy, it is advantageous to throttle or turn off suction altogether after a defined period of ΔT.

The operating principle of laser vapor deposition welding is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a powder nozzle 15 in the vicinity of the workpiece W to be machined. The focused laser beam L from the laser processing head travels coaxially with the powder nozzle 15 and is focused on the workpiece W or at an operating point directly above the workpiece W. The material powder P is guided coaxially with the 0 laser beam L through the powder nozzle 15 and reaches the focal point of the laser beam L on the workpiece W. A protective gas such as argon or a transport gas G also flows through the powder nozzle 15 and transports the material powder P. The protective gas G also plays a role of preventing an unnecessary reaction between the heated material powder P or the workpiece W and oxygen in the atmosphere. Welding fumes S may be generated during the welding process. The welded fumes are removed from the operating space 12 of the machine 1 by the suction system described above. For this purpose, the suction system produces an airflow F indicated by a dotted arrow, which preferably passes through the workpiece W as a horizontal laminar flow, thereby allowing the weld fumes S to flow through the airflow F. Transport with. The strength of the air flow F needs to be adjusted so that the air flow F does not disturb the flow of the material powder P containing the transport gas G. If the air flow F is set too strongly, the material powder P is sucked out by the powder nozzle 15 and disturbs the process.

A typical value for the maximum output of suction from the process space to the outside is about 1000 m ³ / hour. In throttle-adjusted operation, about 200-600 m ³ is sucked out per hour. In comparison, during the laser welding process, a flow of about 3-6 liters / minute of material powder, eg, a carrier gas with argon, typically flows through the powder nozzle 15. When comparing the two values, the exhaust stream F has a much larger diameter so that the flow velocity of the powder stream (transport gas with the material powder) is usually at least an order of magnitude higher than the flow velocity of the air stream F. Please note.

The detailed description of the invention, the scope of claims, and the features disclosed in the drawings may relate to the realization of the present invention in various configurations thereof, individually or in any combination.

1 Laser machine tool 2 Fan 3a 1st exhaust duct 3b 2nd exhaust duct 3c 3rd exhaust duct 3d Air supply duct 4a 1st throttle valve 4b 2nd throttle valve 5a Exhaust port 5b Air supply port 6a 1st actuator 6 2nd actuator 7 Material Powder container cabinet 10 Process chamber 11 Process chamber door 12 Process space 13 Control unit 15 Powder nozzle 20 Workpiece table 21 Machine frame 22 Adjustment shaft 23 Laser processing head L Laser light W Workpiece P Workpiece powder G Protective gas and / Or transport gas S welding fumes

Claims (9)

A machine for position-selectively solidifying the material powder (P) to form a connecting region by focused laser light (L), thereby machining a workpiece and / or producing a compact. (1)
A process chamber (10) that is closed by a process chamber door (11) and surrounds the process space (12).
A material powder container cabinet (7) that can be closed by a door to store the material powder (P), and
A first fan (2) for generating an air flow and a first fluidly connected to the fan (2) via a first exhaust duct (3a) for sucking particles from the process space (12) to the outside. A suction device having a suction device and a second suction device fluidly connected to the fan (2) via a second exhaust duct (3b) in order to suck particles from the material powder container cabinet (7) to the outside. With system,
The first suction device has means (4a) for controlling the suction output of the first suction device, and / or
A machine (1), wherein the second suction device includes means (4b) for controlling the suction output of the second suction device. The machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein the means (4a, 4b) for controlling the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device are each provided with an actuator. An air supply port (5b) and an exhaust port (5a) fluidly connected to the first exhaust duct (3a) are arranged in the process space (12) and cross the focal point of the focused laser beam (L). The machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an air flow (F) is generated. The machine (1) according to claim 3, wherein the air supply port (5b) and the exhaust port (5a) are arranged so that the air flow (F) is generated in the horizontal direction. .. The means (4a, 4b) for controlling the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device is the open state of the process chamber door (11) and / or the material powder container cabinet (7). The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is configured to adjust the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device according to the open state of the door. 1). The means (4a, 4b) for controlling the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device is the first suction device according to the machining process and / or the manufacturing process of the machine (1). The machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is configured to adjust the suction power of the device and / or the second suction device. The means for controlling the suction output of the first suction device and / or the second suction device (4a, 4b) depends on the material and / or material composition of the material powder (P) used. The machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the suction device and / or the suction output of the second suction device is adjusted. A machine for position-selectively solidifying the material powder (P) to form a connection region by focused laser light (L), thereby processing a workpiece and / or producing a compact. It is a method for sucking particles from the process space (12) in the process chamber (10) of 1) to the outside.
A step of locking the process chamber door (11) before the machine (1) starts the machining process.
While the machine (1) is performing the machining process, a step of operating a first suction device to suck particles out of the process space (12) with a throttle-tuned output.
After the machining process is interrupted or terminated, a step of operating the first suction device to suck particles out of the process space (12) at maximum power for a specified time (ΔT).
A method comprising: after the lapse of the defined time (ΔT), a step of unlocking the process chamber door (11). A step of activating a second suction device to suck particles out of the material powder container cabinet (7) is further provided, depending on whether the door of the material powder container cabinet (7) is open or closed. The method according to claim 8, wherein the suction output of the second suction device is adjusted.